Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-04-14

Camden syndicate has been IN TINS county tol
about ten DAYS in constant conference Win inc
and with Camden s manager
W. are reliably informed that this man has
been promised a Federal office. In the name
of the marty. we enter protest. we can Oh
senator Lucas and Congressman wilson 70 see
to n that President Cleveland be informed OF
the fact that Sargent was here doing what ne
could TO elect Republican over the regular
democratic nominee. Il may be said that Mr.:
Camden is not responsible for the conduct Oh
men like Sargent. II is sufficient 70 answer
that the public interest will be safer IL we sellu
10 the Senate a gentleman whose cher mana
ayers are not in partnership WIN Hep''O'''''N
politicians - Vest Virginia Democrat.
II Is not our business to vindicate Mr.
Sargent But we will say that if Mr.. Ma
son had printed the foregoing any time du-
ring Mr.. Sargeut's stay in Charlestown that
gentleman would have had better opportu-
nitv to see it and to have reSpOnded-it he
desired to DO so. Mr. Mason ought not 10
have waited until he had gone, though we
presume he knows Sargent better now thah
when, as alleged, he attempted to oriOe MIN
Sargent being At the time an oihcer oil 'he
legislature. The wonder is-no. ought 10
be-that Mason should have the temerity
to mention the name Of Geo P. Sargent as
it must revive memories of narrow escape
There's a bit of shameless audaoity about
the last sentence of the above quoted para
agraph that could only be expected of Mr.
Mason. Ex- Postmaster Leisenring was here
last week. He said that Mr.. Mason came
down to Washington and proposed to him
Leisenriugl a consideration If he lLeisen-
ring would turn over to him Mason the
Republican yo,e-Masap desiring to go to
the Legislature and thinking that the -eld
Republican contingent would enable him
to secure election over Capt. George Baylor
whom he seemed 10 think would be can
didate in the interest OF Hon. W. J.. Wilson
A letter dated April 9th, instant, I'm res
ponse to one recently written by Hon. ii. q.
Davis. addressed TO the Wheeling Register
by Hon. d. b. Lucas appeared in advance
in The Vast Virginia Democrat. From 1t
we take the following paragraph:
D." Mr.. Davis i'm urging the election of eN-Sen- =
atOr Camden. maintains that The majority OF
the Democrats i'm the Legislature must rule
should like 90 inquire how long since MT
Davis has become a convert % this doctrine {;
Did he believe Ca if when in lN17 he and ms
adherents went into the Democratic caucus and
thus pledged themselves % abide by itS qegi-
sion and then broke il up, abandoned It's dello-
erations, denied its authority and appealed o
the Republicans 20 elect him United states
Senator Consistency is a jewel which the
Camden-Dayis dynasty does not seem TO ap-
preciate.
\ letter written by an ex-member OF the
Legislature Of 1877, dated March %, 1887,
Is a clear refutation of Mr. Lucas statement
all the stronger and better, perhaps, be-
cause Mr.. Lucas was not in the mind of the
writer when it was penned. We make an
extract:
The caucus never made nomination, ihere
being So many candidates no conclusion could
be reached. The caucus met night amer night
with no favorable result, till the Legislature
was compelled by law to meet in Joint Session
and vote for L. ;. senator. This they contin-
ued 90 do for many days, till finally the Re
publicans. with many Democrats who had vO-
ted against Mr. Davis and Mr.. Hereford in
caucus. changed their votes to Davis and Here
ford and with their original support secured
their election. | attended the caucus every
night 10 was in session. No one bolted the
caucus but all the Democrats elected 10 that
session of the Legislature were regular in their
attendance whenever the caucus convened,
and there was no talk about boiling or kickerS
In or out of the caucus. The caucus made no
and therefore no bolt could be
made ANY person receiving the caucus nom
ination would have received the united sup
port of the Democratic members OF the JOINT
Assembly
Mai. Jas. Law Hootr, Of this vicinity.
was member of the Legislature of 1877,
and was a supporter of Hon. c. J. Faux
ner i'm caucus aud in the Joint Assembly,
and changed MS vote to Mr. Davis at the
time an election was effected He verities
the statement of the legislator above quoted
Theconvention was held and nominated Col
Frank Beckwith. q prominent lawyer and q
gentleman OF high integrity and of old-time
Democracy. % succeed Mr.. Lucas IN the Legs
lat1re I'm this convention the twelve Cam
denites although they had howled party gSages
and principles To- the people, refused 70 act with
the majority of the delegates and absolutely
opposed and voted no on every question eX-
ccpt chat of adjournment. Yet they tell Us
the minority ought Co act with the majority
Why iidn they DO 50 i'm this case? " oh con-
sistcncy. thou art a jewel II CoAt-bWor % he
spirit
II the minority aud majority had voted
alike in the convention, how would you
have learned that there was a minority 6?
OF course the minority voted "no'-espe-
cially upon the tabing OF a resolution that
was intended tOcommit the convention and
its nominee to obedience to party usage
and principles
The cardinal principle of Jetiersonian
Democracy Is absolute acQuiescence in the
decisions of the majority, the vital princi-
pie of republics, from which there is no ap.
peal but force,-the vital principle and i'm
mediate parent of despotism." If Col.
Beckwith had not emphatically announced
tina, he would only be governed by the ma
iority under conditions that were in accord
ance with his individual will, he would
have received the votes of those Democrats
who staid away from the polls and of some
if not all of those who voted for his oppo-